Heel-holding device for ski safety binding



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HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SKI SAFETY BINDING Fig. 2

Dec. 13, k1966 Filed April 9, 1965 Dec. 13, 1966 R. VSTER ET AL HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR 5K1 SAFETY BINDING Filed April 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 1s Claims. (ci. aso-11.35)

. The present invention relates to a ski safety binding, and it is an object of the invention to provide such a binding with a heel-holding device which normally presses the heel of a ski boot under spring action upon the ski and is adapted to be lifted against such spring yaction so as to release the heel when a strong force occurs which tends to lift the heel off the ski.

It is another object of the invention to provide a heel-holding device which is designed so as to release the heel in the event of a fall of the skier and to effect such a release very reliably when the heel has been lifted only for a relatively short distance off the ski, and which also insures that in normal skiing the heel will be firmly held on the ski.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel holding device of a simple construction which is reliable in operation and as little susceptible to trouble as possible.

For attaining these objects, it is an important feature of the invention to provide a heel-depressing lever which is acted upon by spring pressure, and a locking element, preferably in the form of `a locking lever, which cooperates with this heel-depressing lever in such a manner that normally the two levers interengage with each other by means of two associated locking members, while at the occurrence of a strong force which lifts the heel off the ski and thereby also lifts the heel-depressing lever, one locking member will be forced out of its engagement with the other locking member, whereby the heel-depressing lever will be disconnected from the locking element so that the heel will be released.

By this novel construction the advantage is attained that the heel-depressing lever which normally presses the heel firmly upon the ski will remain under the locking spring pressure only during a relatively short lifting movement of the heel and will then be unlocked from the locking element. The foot will therefore be quickly released from the ski binding in the event of a forward fall of the skier. The locking spring which holds the heel-depressing lever in the locked position may be relatively hard since, even when the spring' exerts a strong pressure, it has to move only a relatively short distance until the foot will be released.

Another feature of the invention consists in producing the spring pressure, which maintains the heel-depressing lever in engagement with the locking element and also presses the heel upon the ski, by means of a tightening spring, one end of which opposite to the locking device acts upon a tightening lever so as to exert thereon a torque which tends to maintain this lever in the closed position. However, when the heel-depressing lever is forced upwardly, it takes along this spring so that the longitudinal axis of the elements -on which the tightening spring is mounted will thereby be pivoted through the axis of the pivot pin on which the tightening lever is mounted,`that is, through a dead-center position so that, when this longitudinal aXis has passed through this deadcenter position, a torque will be exerted upon the tightening lever whereby the latter will be opened.

A further object of the invention is to provide the heel-holding device of such a design that the heel-de- Patented Dec. 13, 1966 ICC pressing lever can pivot only for `a distance which is suicient to insure that the heel will be properly released, but which is limited by the parts of the device which are secured to the ski so that this lever will be stopped from pivoting beyond a certain angle relative to the ski.

A further object of the invention is to provide the heel-holding device with a cam member which is adapted to serve as one ofthe two associated locking members and is made of la shape which is especially suitable for moving the heel-holding device back to its normal spring-tightened position in which the heel is pressed upon the ski.

The above-mentioned as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE l shows a side view of the heel-holding device in the closed, tightened position;

FIGURE 2 shows a top view thereof;

FIGURE 3 shows a cross section which is taken along the line 3--3 in FIGURE l; while FIGURE 4 shows a cross section which is taken along the line 4--4 in FIGURE 3, but illustrates the device in a partly lifted position in which the heel is released.

In the drawings it is assumed that the toe portion of a ski boot 11, the heel of which is indicated at 12, is secured to the ski 10 by a toe-supporting device (not shown) of a conventional type which may, for example, comprise toe-gripping jaws which, when a strong twisting force is exerted by the foot or when other excessive lateral forces occur, are adapted to pivot laterally from their normal position and thereby to release the foot.

The heel-holding device according to the invention comprises an elongated mounting bracket 13 of a U-shaped cross section, the central web of which is secured by screws 14 to the upper surface of the ski 10, while its parallel side walls 15 support a tightening lever 16 which is pivotable on a pivot pin 17, a heel-depressing lever 18 which is pivotable on a pivot pin 19, and a locking lever 20 which is pivotable on a pivot pin 21. The heel-depressing lever 18, the pivot pin 19 of which is mounted on the side walls 15 of bracket 13 approximately at the center between the pivot pins 17 and 21, is substantially U-shaped and its transverse web 18a is located above and covers up the locking lever 20. This locking lever 20 consists substantially of two straps which are connected to each yother at their ends opposite to the pivot pin 21 by a pivot pin 22 which also serves as a locking pin. The opposite ends of this pivot pin 22 project beyond the locking lever 20 and engage into apertures 23 which are provided in the side walls of the heeldepressing lever 18. l

Each of these apertures 23 has a substantially triangular shape and is defined by a fr-ont side 25, a lower side 26, and a rear side 27. At the upper end of the sides 25 and 27, each aperture 23 has a forward extension which forms a locking recess 24, the lower lside 24a of which extends at an angle to the tangential direction of the locking lever 20. The front side 25 of the aperture 23 may form a sector of an arc about the axis of the pivot pin 19, and this side 25 together with the lower side 24a of the locking recess 24 forms a cam surface along which the locking pin 22 is movable.

The locking pin 22 also forms a pivot pin for connecting the locking lever 20 to a telescopic element 28 which consists of a tubular member 29 land a rod-shaped member 30 which is telescopically slidable within the tubular member 20. This tubular member 20 is pivotably connected at its rear end by a head 31 and a pivot pin 22 to the tightening lever 16, while the front end of the rod-shaped member 30 forms a 4bifurcated head 33 which is pivot-ably connected by the pivot pin 22 to the locking lever 20. A n

coil compression spring 34 surrounds the telescopicv members 29 and 30 and acts at one end upon the head 31 and at its other end upon the bifurcated head 33. When the heel-holding device is in its locked position, as shown in FIGURE l, the axis of the telescopic element 28 extends underneath the axis of the pivot pin 17 and at a distance e therefrom. Spring 34 therefore tends to maintain the tightening lever 16 in the closed position, as shown in FIGURE 1, and also to press the locking pin 22 into the locking recess 424.

On its front end, the heel-depressing lever 18 carries the actual heel depressor 36 with a forwardly projecting heel-engaging yoke 38 thereon which is adjustable by a screw 35 to different elevations above a heel-supporting plate 37 which is secured to and projects forwardly of the lower side of lever 18. When the heel depressor 36 is properly adjusted, the heel yoke 38 will engage into the heel groove 39 of the ski boot and press the heel 12 rmly upon the heel supporting plate 37. If desired, the heel depressor 36 and especially the yoke 38 thereof may be provided with a rubber layer or lining, as indicated, for example, at 40 in FIGURE 2, in order to eiect a more secure grip upon the heel 12.

The device according to the invention is preferably further provided with a spring which acts upon the heeldepressing lever 18 so as to press the same upwardly when the tightening lever 16 is released. This spring may be provided, for example, in the form of a helical torsion spring 42 which is wound around the pivot pin 19 and one end of which acts upon a stop 41 on the mounting bracket 13, while its other end acts upon a stop on the heel-depressing lever 18, for example, an upper wall thereof.

If a strong force P is exerted upon the boot 11 in the upward direction, for example, due to a fall of the skier toward the front, this force tends to pivot the heel-depressing lever 18 about the` axis of its pivot pin 19 in the direction of the arrow X1. This movement is normally opposed vby the spring 34 which presses the locking pin 22 into the locking recess 24 and thereby tends to hold the heel-depressing -lever in the position as shown in FIGURE 1. If the force P exceeds `the locking strength of the spring 34, the locking pin 22 will be forced back along the edge 24a which is inclined to the tangential direction of the locking lever 20 until it reaches the front edge 25 of the aperture 23. As soon as this occurs, the locking force of spring 34 discontinues and, aided by the action of spring 42, the heel-depressing lever 18 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow X1 to the position as shown in FIGURE 4. The heel yoke 38 then slides olf the heel 12 of the ski boot 11 so that the latter can move freely olf the ski in the direction of the arrow P.

By means of its web 18a, the heel-depressing lever 18v will then also press against the tightening lever 16 so that the latter will be lifted in the direction of the arrow X2. This also causes the pivotpin 32 of the telescopic element 28 to be pivoted about the axis of the pivot pin 17 of the tightening lever in the direction of the arrow X2, so that the direction of force F of the spring-loaded telescopic element will pass through the axis of the pivot pin 17, that is, through a dead-center position of this element, and this force will thereafter act in the direction X2 upon the tightening lever 16 so as to open the same still further while the leverage el increases. Due to the release of spring 34, the locking pin 22 also no longer exerts a pressure upon the curved side 25 of the aperture 23.

When the tightening lever 16 is being closed, spring 34 presses the locking pin 22 against the cam-like side 25 of aperture 23, but without pressing the heel-depressing lever 18 downwardly since it is held in its upper position by the spring 42. However, as soon as the skier steps into the ski binding and the heel of the boot presses upon the heel plate 37, the heel-depressing lever 18 will be forced downwardly so that the locking pin 22 will slide along the camlike side 25 of aperture 23 until it reaches the locking recess 24 and will then press the heel-depressing lever 18 downwardly with great force and lock the same in the original position as shown in FIGURE l.

As previously indicated, the height of the heel yoke 38 from the heel plate 37 may be adjusted in accordance with the height of the heel 12 by turning the adjusting Ascrew 35.

If the heel holding device according to the invention should be adjustable for ski boots of different sizes, the mounting'bracket 13 may be secured to the ski so as to be adjustable to different positions in the longitudinal direction. If desired, it is also possible to mount the mounting bracket 13 on the ski so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction toward the rear against the action of suitable resilient means which tend to press themounting bracket and thus the entire heel-holding device forwardly against the heel.

In place of a locking lever 20, it is also possible to provide a locking element of a different'type which has a similar effect as the lever 20, for example, a slide bolt which is slidable in a substantially horizontal direction against spring action, for example, the action of the spring loaded rods 28, and is adapted to engage by means of the locking pin 22 or the like into the locking recess 24. Generally, however, it is more advisable to employ a locking lever 20 similar to that as illustrated and described, since it is of a more simple construction and more reliable in operation.

Furthermore, if desired, it is also possible to modify the heel-holding device by providing the aperture 23 in the locking lever 20 or the like and the locking element 22 on the heel-depressing lever.

A further modification of the invention consists in mounting the heel-depressing lever 18 so as to be movable to a limited extent in the longitudinal direction of the ski, for example, by making the holes in both sides of this lever through which the pivot pin 19 is inserted of an elongated shape and by providing a spring which tends to draw this lever 18 in the direction toward the heel. This spring may be a coil tension spring, one end of which may be connected to the pivot pin 19 and its other end to the pivot pin 21.

Although our invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, we wish to have it understood that it'is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed our invention, what we claim is:

1. A heel-holding device for a ski safety binding comprising a heel-depressing lever having means thereon adapted to engage over the heel of a ski boot for pressing the heel upon the ski, means for mounting said lever on the ski so as to be pivotable about an axis extending substantially parallel to the upper surface of the ski, spring means adapted to press said lever into a position in which the heel is depressed upon the ski, a locking element, means for pivotably mounting said locking element on the ski, rst locking means on said locking element, second locking means on said lever and operatively associated with said rst locking means, said spring means adapted to hold said rst land second locking means in locking engagement with each other when said lever is in said depressed position, said first and second locking means being movable relative to each other so that, when said lever is pivoted upwardly by the heel,'said locking means will be released fromtheir locking engagement with each other against lthe action of said spring means.4v

2. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 1 in com# bination with a tightening lever, means for mounting said tightening lever on the ski yso as to-be pivotable about anv axis extending substantially parallel to the upperusurface of the ski, means for supporting the end of said spring means opposite to the end facing said first and second locking means on said tightening lever so that said spring means will exert a torque upon said tightening lever tending to close the same, and means on said heel-depressing lever adapted to act upon said tightening lever so that, when said heel-depressing lever is pivoted upwardly by the heel, said heel-depressing lever takes along said tightening lever at least for a certain distance, whereby said supporting means are displaced to such an extent that the longitudinal axis of said spring means passes transversely through said pivot axis of said tightening lever and that thereafter a torque is exerted by said spring means upon the tightening lever in the direction in which said lever is opened.

3. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 2, further comprising spring means acting upon said heel-depressing lever so as to maintain the same in the upwardly pivoted open position when said tightening lever is in its open position.

4. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 1, in which ysaid spring means comprise a tubular member, a rodshaped member slidable telescopically within said tubular member, and a coil compression spring surrounding said members and acting upon projections on the opposite outer ends of said members.

5. A heel-holding device as deiined in claim 1, further comprising a heel-depressing member on the front end of `said heel-depressing lever adapted to engage upon the upper edge of the heel and to depress said heel upon the ski, and means for adjusting said heel-depressing member to heels of different thicknesses.

6. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 1, further comprising elastic means on the front of said heel-depressing lever adapted to engage upon the heel.

7. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 1, in which said locking element comprises a locking lever and means for mounting said locking lever so as to be pivotable about an axis spaced from said pivot axis of said heeldepressing lever.

8. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 7, in which said heel-depressing lever has two side walls, said locking lever being disposed between said side walls.

9. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 7, in which said locking lever consists of a pair of substantially parallel straps pivotably mounted on said ski, and pivot pins connecting said straps to each other near their opposite ends, said heel-depressing lever being substantially U- shaped and covering said locking lever.

10. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 7, in

which said heel-depressing lever is located between said tightening lever and said locking lever, and said locking lever is pivotably mounted on the ski near the front end of said heel-depressing member.

11. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 7, in which said rst locking means comprise a locking pin on one of said levers, the other lever having an aperture therein with a locking recess at the upper end of said aperture and forming said second locking means, said locking pin engaging into and movable within said aperture when said heel-depressing lever is pivoting and adapted to be moved into said locking recess and to be held therein when said heel-depressing lever is pivoted fully downwardly toward the ski, said aperture having a lateral front edge adapted to engage with said locking pin and extending substantially in the direction of movement of said other lever, the upper end of said front edge connected to the end of one lateral edge of said locking recess extending at an inclined direction to said front edge and to the radical direction of said other lever.

12. A heel-holding device as dened in claim 11, in which said aperture has a substantially triangular shape, the other lateral edge of said aperture merging at its upper end with the other lateral edge of said locking recess extending at an oblique angle to said front edge.

13. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 11, in which said aperture is provided in said heel-pressing lever and said locking pin is mounted on said locking lever.

14. A heel-holding device as defined in claim 11, in which, when said device is seen in a side view, the pivot axes of said heel-depressing lever and said locking lever and said locking pin 4form the apexes of a substantially right-angled triangle in which the right angle is located on said locking pin.

15. A heel-holding device as delined in claim 11, in which said spring means act directly upon said locking pin which is adapted to lock said locking lever to said heel-depressing lever.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,095,209 6/1963 Covini 2SC-11.35

FOREIGN PATENTS 172,281 8/ 1962 Germany.

'BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

I. H. BRANNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR A SKI SAFETY BINDING COMPRISING A HEEL-DEPRESSING LEVER HAVING MEANS THEREON ADAPTED TO ENGAGE OVER THE HEEL OF A SKI BOOT FOR PRESSING THE HEEL UPON THE SKI, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID LEVER ON THE SKI SO AS TO BE PIVOTABLE ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SKISPRING MEANS ADAPTED TO PRESS SAID LEVER INTO A POSITION IN WHICH THE HEEL IS DEPRESSED UPON THE SKI, A LOCKING ELEMENT, MEANS FOR PIVOTABLY MOUNTING SAID LOCKING ELEMENT, ON THE SKI, FIRST LOCKING MEANS ON SAID LOCKING ELEMENT, SECOND LOCKING MEANS ON SAID LEVER AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST LOCKING MEANS, SAID SPRING MEANS ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOCKING MEANS IN LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER WHEN SAID LEVER IS IN SAID DEPRESSED POSITION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOCKING MEANS BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER SO THAT, WHEN SAID LEVER IS PIVOTED UPWARDLY BY THE HEEL, SAID LOCKING MEANS WILL BE RELEASED FROM THEIR LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS. 